Paring attachment for kitchen knives



J. POTTS Jan. 17, 1939.

PARING ATTACHMENT FOR KITCHEN KNIVES Filed Oct. 13, 1936 I ubf/l/l/Illllll INVENT James P0 ATTORNEY;

Patented Jan. 17, 1939 were PATENT" OFFEQE PARING ATTACHMENT FOR KITCHEN KNIVES 3 Claims.

This invention relates to an attachment for that character of kitchen knife commonly referredto as a paring knife and has asits primary object the provision of means by which the knife may be easily converted from an exposed blade form to an especially efficient edge-guarded tool specifically adapting the same for use in paring operations. a

The general object, together with further and more particular objects and advantages, will appear in the course of the following detailed description and claims, the invention consisting in the novel construction, adaptation, and arrangement of the attachment and in the combination of the same with the knife, as hereinafter described and claimed.

In the drawing:

Figure 1-is a top plan view illustrating the now preferred embodiment of the attachment as the same is appliedover the blade of the knife.

Fig. 2 is an underside plan view thereof; and

Figs. 3 and 4 are transverse sectional views taken on the lines 3-3 and 4-t, respectively, of Fig. 1.

The attachment preferably is formed as a stamped metal structure but from the fact that it is within the expected ability of any mechanician to produce the same from other suitable materials, as for example Bakelite, in a manner which presumably might accomplish some of the principal and possibly all of the functions of the specific embodiment herewith shown and described, I particularly point out that it is my intention to embrace all equivalent materials and forms of a nature falling within the scope of the invention as claimed.

As illustrated in the drawing, the kitchen knife with which the attachment is designed for use is of conventional form, providing a blade formed with a cutting edge 6 which lies approximately parallel with the blunt rear edge l throughout the greater portion of the blade length, terminating in a sharp point 8 and having an integral tang which is socketed in a handle 9.

The metal blank used to produce the attachthis jog is of an approximate semi-circular crosssectional contour to project forwardly from the jog for an appreciable distance and thence rearwardly as. the guard turns upwardly and back over the jog. This return bend terminates in. an approximately flat shelf portion H for the reception of the operators thumb. Cut from the blank is an opening l2 and this opening is approximately rectangular and extends transversely from theapproximate longitudinal median line of the body portion: 18 to the line of juncture leetween the jog and curved portions of the guard.

Between its rear edge and the former of these transverse edge limits of the opening, the body portion of the attachment is depressed to provide a longitudinally extending gauge face l3 which in transverse section is of a curvilinear contour. The curved surface of this gauge face coacts with: the overhang of the curved guard to govern thecutting depth of the assembled knife and attachment, a cutting depth which, otherwise stated, is defined by a rectilineal line taken tangent to both the curved mid-portion of the guard and to the gauge face I3.

Reverting to the fingers I4 and I5, each of such spring members are doubled back over the body portion l0 and, for tension purposes, have their free ends slightly inclined toward the plane of the body portion.

In the arrangement disclosed, the rear wall of said outer spring finger l4 lies such that a prolongation thereof intersects the longitudinal plane of the flange I l and in such form provides a converging throat at the outer end of the attachment between said spring finger and the jog l i, this throat acting to accommodate the inclination of the blades rear edge in. proximity of the point 8. While this disclosed form is desirable in that it serves to influence the cutting edge of the blade into engagement with the jog l l as the knife is slidably introduced, thereby obtaining a frictional resistance against dislodgment of the blade, a possible disadvantage resides in the fact that the device is limited to use by a right-handed person or by a left-handed person, according as to the end of the attachment into which introduction of the blade is permitted. The structure might be modified in a manner allowing the blade to be introduced from either end, thereby allowing use with either hand, by altering the spring finger M to have the rear wall thereof lie in rectilineal alignment with the rear wall of the spring finger I5. The illustrated arrangement, however, is preferred.

The knife is inserted, in what is believed an obvious manner, by slidably introducing the blade through the throat defined on one side by the terminally disposed walls of the jogged portion l l and on the opposite side by the rear walls of the spring fingers I5 and M. The inner end of the attachment is brought into shouldering rela tion to the handle whereby to project the point 8 of the blade and frictionally engage the cutting edge of the'latter against said terminally disposed walls of the jogged portion ll of the flange ll acts as a shelf to receive the thumb of the operator and the forwardly projecting curved midportion thereof as a cutting gauge through its coaction with the curved depression l3. In use the parings are fed through the opening in the jogged portion of the flange, eyes or other surface spots being removed from the work by the exposed knife point.

The invention permits the cutting edge of the knife to be readily sharpened where necessary and additionally allows use of the knife independently of the attachment where operations other than paring are desired.

It is my intention, in the interpretation given the following claims, that no limitations be implied excepting where the same are necessarily used to distinguish from the art.

What I claim is:

1. An attachment for a kitchen knife of the character providing a paring blade and a handle therefor comprising a sheath-type structure produced from a material blank to: provide a central body portion, an upturned flange at the front edge thereof, and a pair of spring fingers at the; rear edge doubled back to overlie the body portion, said flange, in edge elevation, being of a sicklelike contour to provide a vertical jog disposed substantially at right angles to the body portion and a semi-circular guard extending from the jog and projecting forwardly for an appreciable distance beyond the same, said semi-circular guard terminating in a relatively flat shelf portion lying in elevated relation above and approximately parallel with the general plane of the body portion for the reception of the thumb of the operator, the material, from the approximate midwidth of the body portion to: the line of juncture of the jog with the arcuate guard, being cut away between the end edges of the attachment to provide an opening operative ton expose the edge of the knife blade and permit passage of parings over the face of the blade.

2. The attachment defined in claim 1 wherein the material forming said body portion, between its rear edge and the rear limits of said opening, is depressed to form a gauge face which extends for the greater part of the attachments length and co-acts with the forwardly projecting guard portion of the flange to govern the cutting depth of the knife.

3. An attachment for a kitchen knife of the character providing a paring blade which comprises a sheath-type structure formed with a central body portion, spring fingers extending from one edge thereof and doubled back to overlie the body portion and grip the rear edge of the knife blade between the same, and a guard extending from the opposite edge of the body por tion and turned upwardly to form, in, proximity of the points of juncture with the body portion,

a sharp jog to receive the cutting edge of the knife blade, said guard projecting forwardly from the upper limits of the jog with such projecting portion being formed in edge elevation to a sickleiike contour of which the curved forward extension thereof operates as a leading guide for governing the cutting depth of the assembled knifeand-attachment. 

